Given the temperature outside and massive snowfall, it seems as if Snow miser has seriously played some major after-Christmas snow trick on us. Whether he did or not, it's FREEZING here in Michigan, and we've got snow to spare. If and when you go outdoors, please be careful and stay warm.

Stay Warm

According to ABC News, in temperatures of 30-15 below, exposed skin can get frostbite within minutes and hypothermia may start setting in. So if you can, stay inside! But if you're stuck having to leave the house, PLEASE DRESS WARM! Wear layers of clothing, a hat, gloves, socks; you might want to even want to wear a scarf to cover your face. And when you do have to go outdoors, don't stay outside for too long! It really is dangerous to be out in this cold.

Be Safe

Driving

Black ice

Driving in the snow is dangerous, so make sure you take precaution when you're behind the wheel on a day like today. You have to keep in mind that even when you don't see ice, it could STILL be there. Black ice seems to not exist, but really it could be covering a road WITHOUT you realizing until it's too late. So drive slow, and NEVER underestimate the dangers of the road.

Also, make sure you leave room between your car and the person in front of you. You'll need more time to stop in this snowy weather, and the one thing YOU DO NOT want to do is to be driving RIGHT BEHIND someone. Don't drive too fast either. It's going to be harder to stop, and slamming on your breaks is DANGEROUS in this sort of weather. So just remember to drive slow, drive patiently, and drive safe.

Your pets

If you have a loved (or not so loved) animal at home, please keep him warm too! Animals can't help themselves, so it's our job to make sure that they're warm and safe in these cold conditions.

Follow these steps to keep your pet safe:

Never leave your pet in the car, the cold air may freeze him.

Don't leave your animal outside for too long without shelter, such as a doghouse, etc.

Keep straw and blankets in outside shelters.

Make sure your pet has FRESH WATER, not frozen water.

Space Heaters, Fireplaces, Ovens, Etc.

If and when you end up using something to heat your house, please be careful and KNOW what you are doing. According to the Washington Post, 50,000 residential fires happen annually due to improper heating, which causes about 150 deaths, and improper heating is also a MAJOR cause of carbon monoxide poisoning.

If you are using a space heater, place it on a level, hard surface and keep anything flammable at least three feet away – things such as paper, clothing, bedding, curtains or rugs. Turn off space heaters and make sure fireplace embers are out before leaving the room or going to bed.

If you are using a fireplace, use a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.

Use generators correctly – never operate a generator inside the home, including in the basement or garage.

Don’t hook a generator up to the home’s wiring. The safest thing to do is to connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator."

To sum this all up,

PLEASE STAY SAFE THIS WINTER! It's a REALLY cold one guys, and it should be taken seriously. If you have any tips to stay warm, please share them in the comment section below.